Bellevue Washington is wet and green. Amazing when the sun shines

May 1, 2024 · 3 minute read/463 words

Location

Notes

Drive from La Center, Washington was easy, we left later afternoon around 1720 PST. Arrived in Bellevue at 2000 PST. Sun was still shining and we setup quickly. The RV park felt a sketch at first. We were not dissuaded, our spot, 54 was close to the Laundry room and was lined by bushes. The spot felt reasonably private and any feelings of worry were canceled by the residents and staff in the park.

Family things

We came to Washington to place my grandmother in her final resting state. Bellevue Memorial Park Donna and I got the oppurtunity to spend time with my Great uncle and nephew and his family.
I really enjoyed meeting Vicki and Brent’s children. Amazing people who are thoughtful, smart, engaged, curious. I am sure it is a real treat watching them grow and learning with them. Brent gave many ideas on places for us to visit, which we appreciated.

I also got the opportunity to visit with Marcel, we meet at Standard Brewing had a few snacks and tried beers. Marcel gifted me some artwork and we had the opportunity to discuss work, art, cycling, culture, successes, etc.. I had a great time and am excited to find a place to hang his artwork at home.

I was excited to leave rain (Bellevue) and start heading east. On my list of must dos:

See Grand Coulee
Spend time reading about Frank Crowe,
Spending time at Cachuma lake and our states water management challenges got me interested in flood controls. I find myself excited to learn more about flood controls and hydralics.
Ride my bike
Getting back to riding my bike has been hard. Making riding a priority is also hard.

cycling

I was able to get 2 days of sunshine while in Bellevue. I rode around Mercer Island, such a great loop, minimal cars, no stop lights, respectful drivers. Was a great way to spend the afternoon.

Boeing Museum of Flight

This was my second visit to the museum of flight. The museum is on an active runway allowing close up views and pictures of military, test, and civilian aircraft. A highlight for me was seeing the Apollo 12 Rocketdyne F-1 injector. 5500 pounds per second of propellant equals 1.5 Million pounds of thrust. The sheer volume is mind boggling, especially through such a small engine. The engineering feats that were accomplished (still continue to be) is a reflection point for me.